“It may sound strange, but I consider hurricanes one of the wonders of the natural world. Two powerful hurricanes, Earl and Otto, hit the BVI in 2010 and caused extensive damage,” Branson wrote. “I beheld nature at its most ferocious. The power of the sea breaking over the cliff tops, the eerie hush when you are in the eye of the hurricane and then the roar of the winds, the lightning and the rain.”

He also expressed hope that the people and wildlife on the islands remain safe.

“As has been so clearly shown by Hurricane Harvey, the devastation that hurricanes (in particular higher category hurricanes) can cause cannot be overstated,” he wrote.

Hurricane Irma has maximum sustained winds of 175 mph, says NOAA. Hurricane warnings are in effect for the Leeward Islands and Irma is also expected to affect Puerto Rico & the British and U.S. Virgin Islands on Wednesday. McClatchyMeta Viers/McClatchy